Typical Underwater Tunnels in the Mainland of China and Related Tunneling Technologies

In the past decades, many underwater tunnels have been constructed in the mainland of China, and great progress has been made in related tunneling technologies. This paper presents the history and state of the art of underwater tunnels in the mainland of China in terms of shield-bored tunnels, drill-and-blast tunnels, and immersed tunnels. Typical underwater tunnels of these types in the mainland of China are described, along with innovative technologies regarding comprehensive geological prediction, grouting-based consolidation, the design and construction of large cross-sectional tunnels with shallow cover in weak strata, cutting tool replacement under limited drainage and reduced pressure conditions, the detection and treatment of boulders, the construction of underwater tunnels in areas with high seismic intensity, and the treatment of serious sedimentation in a foundation channel of immersed tunnels. Some suggestions are made regarding the three potential great strait-crossing tunnels-the Qiongzhou Strait-Crossing Tunnel, Bohai Strait-Crossing Tunnel, and Taiwan Strait-Crossing Tunnel--and issues related to these great strait-crossing tunnels that need further study are proposed.

Study on Joint Method of 3D Acoustic Emission Source Localization Simplex and Grid Search Scanning

Acoustic emission(AE)source localization is a fundamental element of rock fracture damage imaging.To improve the efficiency and accuracy of AE source localization,this paper proposes a joint method comprising a three-dimensional(3D)AE source localization simplex method and grid search scanning.Using the concept of the geometry of simplexes,tetrahedral iterations were first conducted to narrow down the suspected source region.This is followed by a process of meshing the region and node searching to scan for optimal solutions,until the source location is determined.The resulting algorithm was tested using the artificial excitation source localization and uniaxial compression tests,after which the localization results were compared with the simplex and exhaustive methods.The results revealed that the localization obtained using the proposed method is more stable and can be effectively avoided compared with the simplex localization method.Furthermore,compared with the global scanning method,the proposed method is more efficient,with an average time of 10%–20%of the global scanning localization algorithm.Thus,the proposed algorithm is of great significance for laboratory research focused on locating rupture damages sustained by large-sized rock masses or test blocks.

Optimization of construction scheme and supporting technology for HJS soft rock tunnel

For a soft rock tunnel under high stress in jointed and swell soft rock （HJS）, two construction schemes pilot-tunneling enlarging excavation and step-by-step excavation were optimized using FLAC20, and the deformation effects of the two construction schemes were verified by field tests. Based on engineer- ing geological investigation and mechanical analysis of large deformations, the complex deformation mechanisms of stress expansion and structural deformation of the soft rock tunnel were confirmed, and support countermeasures from the complex deformation mechanism converted to a single type were proposed, and the support parameters were optimized by field tests. These technologies were proved by engineering practice, which produced significant technical and economic benefits.

2D DEM analyses for T-M coupling effects of extreme temperatures on surrounding rock-supporting system of a tunnel in cold region

Taking the Kunlunshan Tunnel on Qinghai Tibet Railway as an engineering background, the curved wall-inverted arch lining of the tunnel was simplified into the straight wall-umbrella arch one, and the fractured rock mass with developed joints was treated as a discrete medium in the calculation. Using the UDEC code, the numerical simulations for thermo-mechanical coupling processes in the surrounding rock mass-supporting system were carried out aiming at the conditions of mean temperature, extreme highest temperature and extreme lowest temperature in one year. The distributions and changes of stresses, displacements, plastic zones, temperatures in the rock mass of near field, as well as the loading states in the model-building concrete and bolting were investigated and compared for these three computation cases. The results show that compared with the case of mean temperature, the ranges, where the temperatures of surrounding rock mass change obviously, are 6.0 m and 6.5 m, respectively, for the cases of extreme highest temperature and extreme lowest temperature; the displacements of tunnel are raised by 3.2 9.3 and 5.7 12.7 times, and the thicknesses of plastic zones reach 1.5 2.5 m and 2.0 4.5 m for case 2 and 3, respectively; the extreme temperatures of air have strong effects on the stress, deformation and failure states of supporting structure of tunnel in cold region, and the influence degree of extreme lowest temperature is the highest.

Applications of Pre-Geological Prediction in Tunnel Construction

Pre-geological prediction (PGP) is defined as the prediction of engineering geologic condition and hy-drogeological condition certain distance ahead of the working face. The purpose of this paper is to introduce mainlygeologic survey before and in excavation, to clarify their emphasis on PGP. At the same time, the technique is appliedto an engineering case, the longest highway tunnel in Gansu province. Data of geological survey of outside tunnels,sound wave detection, and geologic sketch for both tunnel face and sidewalls within the tunnel are analyzed. Afteranalyzing these data, long-term pre-geological prediction forecasting basic geological conditions of fault 4 such aslithology, scope, location, etc., and short-term and more accurate pre-geological prediction are reported.

Monitoring Study of Long-Term Land Subsidence during Subway Operation in High-Density Urban Areas Based on DInSAR-GPS-GIS Technology and Numerical Simulation

During subway operation,various factors will cause long-term land subsidence,such as the vibration subsidence of foundation soil caused by train vibration load,incomplete consolidation deformation of foundation soil during tunnel construction,dense buildings and structures in the vicinity of the tunnel,and changes in water level in the stratum where the tunnel is located.The monitoring of long-term land subsidence during subway operation in high-density urban areas differs from that in low-density urban construction areas.The former is the gathering point of the entire urban population.There are many complex buildings around the project,busy road traffic,high pedestrian flow,and less vegetation cover.Several existing items requiremonitoring.However,monitoring distance is long,and providing early warning is difficult.This study uses the 2.8 km operation line between Wulin Square station and Ding’an Road station of Hangzhou Subway Line 1 as an example to propose the integrated method of DInSAR-GPS-GIS technology and the key algorithm for long-term land subsidence deformation.Then,it selects multiscene image data to analyze long-termland subsidence of high-density urban areas during subway operation.Results show that long-term land subsidence caused by the operation of Wulin Square station to Ding’an Road station of Hangzhou Subway Line 1 is small,with maximumsubsidence of 30.64 mm,and minimumsubsidence of 11.45 mm,and average subsidence ranging from 19.27 to 21.33 mm.And FLAC3D software was used to verify the monitoring situation,using the geological conditions of the soil in the study area and the tunnel profile to simulate the settlement under vehicle load,and the simulation results tended to be consistent with the monitoring situation.

New method to identify optimal discontinuity set number of rock tunnel excavation face orientation based on Fisher mixed evaluation

Discontinuity is critical for strength,deformability,and permeability of rock mass.Set information is one of the essential discontinuity characteristics and is usually accessed by orientation grouping.Traditional methods of identifying optimal discontinuity set numbers are usually achieved by clustering validity indexes,which mainly relies on the aggregation and dispersion of clusters and leads to the inaccuracy and instability of evaluation.This paper proposes a new method of Fisher mixed evaluation(FME)to identify optimal group numbers of rock mass discontinuity orientation.In FME,orientation distribution is regarded as the superposition of Fisher mixed distributions.Optimal grouping results are identified by considering the fitting accuracy of Fisher mixed distributions,the probability monopoly and central location significance of independent Fisher centers.A Halley-Expectation-Maximization(EM)algorithm is derived to achieve an automatic fitting of Fisher mixed distribution.Three real rock discontinuity models combined with three orientation clustering algorithms are adopted for discontinuity grouping.Four clustering validity indexes are used to automatically identify optimal group numbers for comparison.The results show that FME is more accurate and robust than the other clustering validity indexes in optimal discontinuity group number identification for different rock models and orientation clustering algorithms.

Uniaxial experimental study of the acoustic emission and deformation behavior of composite rock based on 3D digital image correlation(DIC)

In this paper, uniaxial compression tests were carried out on a series of composite rock specimens with different dip angles, which were made from two types of rock-like material with different strength. The acoustic emission technique was used to monitor the acoustic signal characteristics of composite rock specimens during the entire loading process. At the same time, an optical non-contact 3 D digital image correlation technique was used to study the evolution of axial strain field and the maximal strain field before and after the peak strength at different stress levels during the loading process. The effect of bedding plane inclination on the deformation and strength during uniaxial loading was analyzed. The methods of solving the elastic constants of hard and weak rock were described. The damage evolution process, deformation and failure mechanism, and failure mode during uniaxial loading were fully determined. The experimental results show that the θ = 0?–45?specimens had obvious plastic deformation during loading, and the brittleness of the θ = 60?–90?specimens gradually increased during the loading process. When the anisotropic angle θincreased from 0?to 90?, the peak strength, peak strain,and apparent elastic modulus all decreased initially and then increased. The failure mode of the composite rock specimen during uniaxial loading can be divided into three categories:tensile fracture across the discontinuities(θ = 0?–30?), slid-ing failure along the discontinuities(θ = 45?–75?), and tensile-split along the discontinuities(θ = 90?). The axial strain of the weak and hard rock layers in the composite rock specimen during the loading process was significantly different from that of the θ = 0?–45?specimens and was almost the same as that of the θ = 60?–90?specimens. As for the strain localization highlighted in the maximum principal strain field, the θ = 0?–30?specimens appeared in the rock matrix approximately parallel to the loading direction,while in the θ = 45?–90?specimens it appeared at the hard and weak rock layer interface.

FEM analyses for influences of stress-chemical solution on THM coupling in dual-porosity rock mass

The models of stress corrosion, pressure solution and flee-face dissolution/precipitation were introduced. Taking a hypothetical nuclear waste repository in an unsaturated dual-porosity rock mass as the calculation objective, four cases were designed 1） the fracture aperture is a function of stress corrosion, pressure solution and free-face dissolution/precipitation; 2） the fracture aperture changes with stress corrosion and pressure solution; 3） the fracture aperture changes with pressure solution and free-face dissolution/precipitation; 4） the fracture aperture is only a function of pressure solution, and the matrix porosity is also a function of stress in these four cases. Then, the corresponding two-dimensional FEM analyses for the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical processes were carried out. The results show that the effects of stress corrosion are more prominent than those of pressure solution and free-face dissolution/precipitation, and the fracture aperture and relevant permeability caused by the stress corrosion arc only about 1/5 and 1/1000 of the corresponding values created by the pressure solution and free-face dissolution/precipitation, respectively Under the action of temperature field from released heat, the negative pore and fracture pressures in the computation domain rise continuously, and are inversely proportional to the sealing of fracture aperture. The vector fields of flow velocity of fracture water in the cases with and without considering stress corrosion are obviously different. The differences between the magnitudes and distributions of stresses within the rock mass are very small in all cases.

Numerical simulation of zonal disintegration of surrounding rock in the deep-buried chamber

Zonal disintegration is the phenomenon of cyclical rupture zone and nonrupture zone in the surrounding rock of a deep-buried chamber,which is different from that of a shallow chamber.Based on the finite difference software FLAC3D,the numerical simulation of surrounding rock with different mechanical parameters was conducted by using the SU model(Bilinear Strain-Softening Ubiquitous-Joint).The influences of buried depth,cohesion,and internal friction angle of surrounding rock on zonal disintegration were analyzed to reveal the influence law.The results show that:(1)after the chamber excavation,multiple rupture zones gradually extend from the chamber surface or adjacent periphery to the deep surrounding rock.In the extension process,a single rupture zone may be forked into two or even multiple rupture zones,which cross each other and form the zonal disintegration zone.(2)Zonal disintegration is affected by bothσ(in situ stress)and U_(cs)(uniaxial compression strength).Smaller U_(cs)and largerσwill lead to zonal disintegration.(3)The zoning fracture is not obvious in the case ofσ≤U_(cs).In the reverse case,zoning fracture appears remarkably in the surrounding rock around the chamber.These results reveal the influence law of zonal disintegration and provide theoretical support for the design of deep-buried chambers.

FEM analyses for influences of pressure solution on thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling in porous rock mass

The model of pressure solution for granular aggregate was introduced into the FEM code for analysis of thermo-hydro- mechanical （T-H-M） coupling in porous medium. Aiming at a hypothetical nuclear waste repository in an unsaturated quartz rock mass, two computation conditions were designed： 1） the porosity and the permeability of rock mass are fimctions of pressure solution; 2） the porosity and the permeability are constants. Then the corresponding numerical simulations for a disposal period of 4 a were carried out, and the states of temperatures, porosities and permeabilities, pore pressures, flow velocities and stresses in the rock mass were investigated. The results show that at the end of the calculation in Case 1, pressure solution makes the porosities and the permeabilities decrease to 10%-45% and 0.05%-1.4% of their initial values, respectively. Under the action of the release heat of nuclear waste, the negative pore pressures both in Case 1 and Case 2 are 1.2-1.4 and 1.01-l.06 times of the initial values, respectively. So, the former represents an obvious effect of pressure solution. The magnitudes and distributions of stresses within the rock mass in the two calculation cases are the same.

Correction to: Uniaxial experimental study of the acoustic emission and deformation behavior of composite rock based on 3D digital image correlation (DIC)

In the original publication of this article,Table 2 is incorrectly published due to the negligence of the author's proofreading.The correct version of Table 2 is provided below.

The vertical shaft construction technology of cutter head transformation of large diameter shield

Taking vertical shaft construction of cutter transformation of the Beijing underground diameter shield for example,the design and construction of cutter structure transformation under complex boundary conditions for large diameter shield were discussed.Practice about how to ensure the structure safety of the shaft as well as well-coordinated shield construction was explored,and reliable solutions were provided successfully,which can provide reference for similar projects.

Theoretical model for loads prediction on shield tunneling machine with consideration of soil-rock interbedded ground

The loads acting on shield tunneling machines are basic parameters for the equipment design as well as key control parameters throughout the entire operation of the equipment. In the study, a mechanical analysis for the coupled interactive system between the cutterhead and the ground at the excavation face is conducted. The normal and tangential loads acting on the cutterhead are decoupled and solved, with consideration of the influence of three key factors on loads: geological condition, operating status and equipment structure. Then analytical expressions for the thrust and the torque acting on the equipment under uniform geological condition are established. On this basis, the impact of soil-rock interbedded ground on acting loads is further considered. A theoretical model for loads prediction of earth pressure balance (EPB) shield machines working under soil-rock interbedded ground is proposed. This model is subsequently applied to loads prediction for a shield tunneling project under soil-rock interbedded ground. The computational value of the thrust and the torque, the measured loads and the load ranges from Krause empirical formula are compared. Thus, this model for loads prediction acting on shield tunneling machines under soil-rock interbedded ground has been proved to be effective.

FEM ANALYSIS FOR INFLUENCES OF A FAULT ON COUPLED T-H-M-M PROCESS IN DUAL-POROSITY ROCK MASS

For the case in which a large geological structure like fault existing within the surrounding rock mass in the near field of a repository for high-level radioactive nuclear waste, one kind of coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-migratory model of dual-porosity medium for saturated- unsaturated ubiquitous-joint rock mass was established. In the present model, the seepage field and the concentration field are double, but the stress field and the temperature field are single, and the influences of sets, spaces, angles, continuity ratios, stiffness of fractures on the constitutive relationship of the medium can be considered. At the same time, a two-dimensional program of finite element method was developed. Taking a hypothetical nuclear waste repository located at a rock mass being unsaturated dual-porosity medium as a calculation example, the FEM analysis for thermo-hydro-mechanical-migratory coupling were carried out under the condition of radioac- tive nuclide leaking for the cases with and without a fault, and the temperatures, pore pressures, flow velocities, nuclide concentrations and principal stresses in the rock mass were investigated. The results show that the fracture water in the fault flows is basically along the fault direction, and its flow velocity is almost three orders of magnitude higher than that of fracture water in rock mass; the nuclide concentration in the fault is also much higher than that without fault, and the nuclides move along the fault faster; moreover, the fault has obvious influences on the pore pressures and the principal stresses in the rock mass.

Study of base friction simulation tests based on a complicated engineered bridge slope

In this paper,a physical base friction test model of a slope is established.The model is based on similarity principles and the geological conditions of a complicated bridge slope during construction,deformation and failure.The behavior of the slope in both its natural state and during excavation loading is qualitatively analyzed through base friction tests.The base friction test results are then subjected to comparison and analysis using finite element numerical simulation.The findings show that the whole engineered slope tends to stabilize in its natural state,whereas instabilities will arise at faulted rock masses located near bridge piers during excavation loading.Therefore,to ensure normal construction operation of bridge works,it is suggested that pre-reinforcement of faulted rock masses be performed.